Thought I'd jot down the process I've gone through with importing my MC28.
I've finally got my MC28 into Blighty after I bought about 3 months ago, but it's in a state of 'devanning' right now. The bit where the crate is on the dockside and customs look in the boxes.
The boat set sail from Japan on 26th Jan and arrived on Tuesday 4/3/14.
I got my original Board of Lading certificates posted through, and you get 2 certificates. First and Second original.
I had to post the first original to my Port Agent.
His charges were £100 and I had to pay £120 to the port for something.
He asked me to email a bloke to release the cargo into his hands about 2 weeks ago.
I paid the £730 for Duty and VAT with a bank transfer to the port agent, and I was supposed to go and pick the bike up today in a van from Southampton, but it's still in customs. I'm a bit miffed as I booked 2 days holiday off but I'll go down on Monday and pick it up after asking my boss nicely.
I can't really complain about the whole nerve racking process except about the captain not sailing the ship fast enough.
The biggest fear is that the bike is a total lemon but I've been told the engine is nice and tight and sounds really good. From the pictures it has general decay and needs stripping and polishing up.
Theres a digital display that needs fitting and I've got a electrical gadget from Ebay that will hopefully convert from KMH to MPH and also allow the bike to go faster than 112mph.
It'll be nice alongside my Suzuki VJ23
The original idea is I am to restore the bike and sell it on for a profit and maybe I'll buy in more rare 2 strokes to restore and sell.
That's what I told my wife anyway.
I'm lining up my excuses already. I think if I take ages restoring it, it'll be winter and nobody sells a bike in winter. lol!